Mumbai: Jain Monk Nileshchandra Vijay Begins Hunger Strike At Azad Maidan, Demands Reopening Of Dadar Kabutarkhana - Video

Mumbai: Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay began a protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on Monday, opposing the civic body's decision to shut down the Dadar Kabutarkhana, a site where the community members have traditionally fed pigeons.

Speaking to reporters before starting his protest at the site near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in south Mumbai, the monk said he intended to stage an indefinite fast to demand restoration of the Kabutarkhana.

He was reacting to the BMC's recent move to allow controlled feeding of pigeons at four locations- Worli Reservoir, the mangrove area on Lokhandwala Back Road in Andheri West, the Airoli-Mulund check post area, and Gorai ground in Borivali West.

According to the BMC, feeding will be permitted only between 7 am and 9 am, and non-governmental organisations will be responsible for managing these sites.

The civic body has clarified that this is a temporary arrangement until the expert committee's report and court orders are received, and that closed Kabutarkhanas will not be reopened for now.

Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay's Statement

"I have stopped drinking water from the moment I reached at Azad Maidan. My protest is within the framework of the Constitution written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who has given right to each individual to protest in democratic way," Nileshchandra Vijay told reporters.

"I do not approve of the decision of granting four alternate sites for Kabutarkhana. I want reopening of Dadar kabutarkhana. The alternate sites given by the BMC are as far as 4, 5 and even 9 kilometres away. Will a pigeon fly so far? The administration should have given a site within 2 km of the existing Kabutarkhana," the Jain monk said.

Asserting he would sit in protest forsaking food and water for a month, he also spoke on the now-scrapped sale of a Jain trust property to a builder in Pune and alleged attack on cow vigilantes in various parts of Maharashra.

"Do not give us any lollypop but allow me to continue my protest here. I believe Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde can take action and find a solution. I appeal to the members of the Jain community across the country to come to Mumbai and support the cause to reopen Dadar Kabutarkhana," he said.

If (Maratha quota activist) Manoj Jarange can protest at the Azad Maidan for his community's interest, then why can't he sit there for the welfare of all the animals, the monk questioned.

"If I am asked to leave this place, I will sit (in protest) at Dadar Kabutarkhana. The permission given for feeding the pigeons states that the birds can be fed two hours each in the morning and evening at the alternate sites. I demand that similar permission be given for the Dadar Kabutarkhana," Vijay said.

He also said the community was willing to raise funds to purchase land if the civic body allotted an appropriate site.

If the BMC gives a site, the Jain community is ready to purchase it by raising funds, he added.

"The Kabutarkhana in Dadar area has existed for more than a century and holds religious significance for the community. These Kabutarkhanas are more than a hundred years old. It is the house of pigeons, and it is our responsibility to protect their home," he said.

The monk claimed that since the closure of the feeding area, the pigeon population has drastically declined.

"Wherever the Jain community has its residences and buildings, pigeons are being fed. But more than one lakh pigeons have died since the closure of the Kabutarkhana. Community organisations have currently been treating 50 to 60 injured or sick pigeons daily," he claimed.

He asserted the protest would remain peaceful.

"We are protesting for the pigeons, which are considered messengers of peace," he said.

The issue of feeding pigeons and reported health risks associated with their presence in congested urban areas first came up on July 3 during the Monsoon session of Maharashtra Legislature with Shiv Sena leader Maneesha Kayande raising concerns of residents near Dadar Kabutarkhana.

In an oral response, Maharashtra industries minister Uday Samant said there are 51 'Kabutarkhanas' in the city, adding the BMC will be asked to start an awareness drive against such structures within a month and shutting them.

Samant had said there is a need to create awareness about the hazards of feeding piegons. The BMC then removed some encroachments at Dadar Kabutarkhana and later covered it to stop pigeon feeding, which led to protests from animal lovers and a section of the Jain community.

However, several residents supported the ban, citing concerns over pigeon droppings and related respiratory ailments.

In August, some members of the Jain community tore down the tarpaulin covers installed by the BMC at Dadar Kabutarkhana. At the time, Jain monks had held a prayer meeting for the pigeons that reportedly died following the closure of the Kabutarkhana, urging the government to reopen the enclosures.

Community groups such as "Aamhi Girgaonkar" have, however, protested the Jain community's stance by displaying placards reading "Kabutar Go Back to Marwad Rajasthan", supporting the closure of the feeding enclosures to protect the health of humans.

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(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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